Although roughly 57.8 million adults in the US are believed to be living at least one form of mental illness, there is still stigma in workplace settings that prevent workings from seeking help and support. According to one study, 8 out 10 workers with a mental health condition report feeling shame and stigma surrounding their issues, making them less inclined to talk about what they are going through.
Another study from the American Psychological Association found that an alarming 87% of employees believe actions from their employer would help their mental health.
In other words, there are ways to address the rising prevalence of mental illness in working Americans, but some of the solutions will need to come from the top-down.
Did you know that twelve billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety? Or that depression and anxiety cost the global economy roughly one trillion US dollars every year thanks to reduced productivity?
What this tells us is that mental illness is already having a major impact on US labor, so any business owners or managers who don’t think they need to address this issue—think again.
If you’re not sure where to begin supporting your employees, however, we’ve got you covered. Check out our curated list of actions and advice to help you create a more healthy and happy workplace environment.
Do you care about your employees? If you answered yes, then here’s another question, do your employees know that you care about them? Research has found that 35% of employees agree with the statement: ‘my manager doesn’t care about me as a person.’ Whether or not that number actually correlates to real levels of concern is unknown, but if that’s how employees feel, then it’s going to have an effect on their mental health. That’s why it’s so important managers and business owners make their employee concerns and considerations known. Don’t just assume that your workers understand how you feel about them—say it out loud.
Reward good work, kindly communicate expectations, and most importantly, create a safe space where employees feel comfortable communicating their needs.
Interestingly, 48% of workers refer to themselves as ‘workaholics’, even though 72% of workers also believe that a healthy work-life balance is crucial. People desperately want to have a better balance between their work and personal lives, but for many, it’s not something they have yet to achieve.
Having a poor work-life balance, however, can lead to unhealthy behaviors. One study found that 66% of workers skip one meal per day due to working hours. Choices such as this, in turn, can lead to negative mental health outcomes. Research from the National Library of Medicine indicated that skipping breakfast in the morning “significantly increased the risks of stress and depressive mood.”
If you’re noticing that your employees are clocking long hours or working through their lunch hour, try encouraging them to leave work on time and take more breaks when they have the chance. Offering mental health days is also a great way to ensure that your employees are prioritizing their needs instead of trying to push through the mental illness symptoms.
One of the best ways to support the mental health of your employees is to make sure they have access to quality mental health services. This can be done either through expanding the insurance coverage at your company, or establishing an Employee Assistance Program. EAPs are programs that offer a wide variety of support, ranging from mental health resources to legal assistance to help finding childcare, etc. Establishing an EAP is not only a wonderful way to provide concrete mental health support, but it will also demonstrate to your workers that you care about them as human beings.
While the above methods are fantastic ways of addressing mental health issues more broadly, managers also need to pay attention to things in the workplace that might be triggering or worsening mental illness symptoms. For instance, increased screen time and sedentary behavior is associated with unfavorable health outcomes. If you work in an office where most of your employees spend their day sitting at a desk staring at a computer screen, steps should be taken to cut back on these behaviors as much as possible. Perhaps you can implement a policy where people have to get up from their desk at least once an hour, or a new rule that nobody is allowed to eat lunch at their computer.
Other programs, like workplace animal encounters such as the ones offered from Paws In Work can be very fun and effective ways of breaking up the work day and easing employee stress.
The last, but certainly not least, piece of advice we have for you is to ensure that your employees feel comfortable and safe in the workplace. This can be accomplished in a few ways—eliminating stigmatizing language around mental health for one. Another option is to hold ‘office hours’ in which employees are encouraged to come and talk to their managers about what’s bothering them.
Finally, it’s imperative that in-person workplaces have a part of the office where the employees can relax away from their desk. Break Rooms are vital to a healthy work environment, and those spaces should include comfortable seating options, snacks, coffee, and the chance to escape the stress of the job any time an employee might feel the need to do so.
Properly addressing the mental wellbeing of all your employees will take the cooperation of people at every level, which means managers need to ensure they have a rock solid team. The need to know that everyone there is committed to the same goal, understands the company’s vision, and of course, supports one another.
If you’re not sure your team is up to the challenge, or you’re interested in hiring someone who is uniquely qualified to address mental health in the workplace, CyberCoders has you covered. Check out our website to learn more about how we can find you the best candidates and take the stress of hiring off your shoulders. Consider it our little way of helping you with your own mental health.
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